SPECIAL FEATURE
OFQ : What can be done to mitigate the impact of climate change on agriculture? How do you support countries to adapt? GM: Nearly half the world’s population is highly vulnerable to climate impacts and severe water shortages. Agriculture and food security face great difficulties. Thirty percent of the population is exposed to deadly heat stress, rising to 50-70 percent by the year 2100. The world is facing a climate catastrophe and the window to avert it is rapidly closing. Here, the role of industry in the climate change context is threefold.
Even before this war, the situation in Africa was bad. Nearly a third of the population in sub-Saharan Africa is undernourished. Many countries in the region experience chronic food insecurity due to factors like droughts, desertification, poor agricultural practices, political instability and economic challenges. Africa has one of the fastest-growing populations in the world. It is expected to double by 2050 and demand for food will dramatically increase. We need to intensify our efforts to increase the productivity of agriculture in African countries and to provide food security. The daunting task of feeding a growing population will require innovation and increased investments in agricultural infrastructure, research, and development, including irrigation systems, transportation networks and modern farming techniques. We have the technology and the knowledge, and we have the money to invest in agriculture. What’s missing is the political will to face up to this responsibility. My central message as Director General of UNIDO is that we are building bridges to facilitate technology, knowledge and investment transfer in order to help Africa eliminate hunger.
One, industry is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases. Two, industry it itself is adversely affected by the changing climate and resource depletion. And three, industry has the potential to become a leading provider of technological solutions, business models and green jobs. The guiding principle
of UNIDO’s activities is low-emission, climate- resilient development. This means promoting policies, technologies and practices so that countries can take climate
We need to intensify our efforts to increase the productivity of agriculture in African countries and to provide food security.
Gerd Müller, UNIDO, Director General
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